This invention relates in general to feed troughs and deals more specifically with a detachable feed trough for converting a grain carrying wagon into a feeder for cattle and other animals.
Grain wagons having gravity discharge grain boxes are widely used for carrying grain. Typically, the grain is loaded into the grain box and is carried to an elevator where it is unloaded from the grain box through a gravity discharge chute. It has been proposed to construct grain carriers such that they also serve as feeders for cattle and other animals. However, the combination grain carriers and feeders that have been developed in the past are not entirely satisfactory in all respects. Perhaps most notably, the carrying of grain and its discharge into a grain elevator is not carried out as easily with combination units as with grain wagons which are specially constructed solely for that purpose. When the combination unit is used to feed animals, an adequate supply of feed material is not always present in the feed trough. As a result, effective feeding of the animals does not always occur.
The present invention provides a feed trough which may be detachably mounted to a standard grain wagon to convert it to a feeder for animals. The trough is located beneath the gravity discharge outlet of the grain box where it automatically receives an adequate supply of feed. The trough can be easily removed from the grain box when the grain wagon is to be used to haul grain to an elevator or another location.
It is an important object of the invention to provide a feed trough which may be quickly and easily mounted to a grain wagon beneath the gravity discharge outlet of the grain box such that the feed discharges by gravity into the trough for feeding of cattle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a feed trough of the character described which is readily detachable from the grain wagon to permit the wagon to be used as a grain carrier. Since the grain wagon is constructed specifically for use as a grain carrier, it is better suited to haul and discharge grain than existing combination units which are designed to also act as feeders.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a feed trough of the character described which is constructed and mounted in a sturdy manner in order to withstand the loads and forces applied to it. The trough and its mounting structure are strong enough to readily handle large quantities of feed and to withstand the forces of cattle bumping against the unit.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a feed trough of the character described which is readily adapted for attachment to a standard grain wagon without requiring significant modification of the grain box or wagon. The only modification required prior to attachment of the feed trough is removal of the grain chute, and this can be accomplished quickly and with little difficulty.
A further object of the invention is to provide a feed trough attachment for a grain wagon that is simple and economical to construct and which avoids spillage and other loss of feed.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.